Refrigerating apparatus



Dec. 29, 1931. c. w VOLLMANN REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 29 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet WlmI TYL W INVENTGB GARLWVOELM ANN Dec. 29, 1931. c VOLLMANN 1,838,165

REFR I GERATI NG APPARATUS iled Nov. 29 1926 Sheets-She t 2 I NVEN TUB CARLW HULK-MAN N Patented Dec. 29, 1931 CARL W. VOLLMANN, OF MONTREAL, QUEBEC, CANADA I REFRIGERATIN G APPARATUS Application filed November 29, 1926, Serial No. 151,380, and in Canada November 20, 1926.

My invention relates particularly to the supply of a liquid r'efrigerant commensurately with exhaustion of the refrigeration contained in the usual domestic box, and it has for its object to produce a refrigerating apparatus in which the control of the liquid refrigerant to the ice box is independent of the controlling mechanism although indirectly influencing the same to regulate the flow to maintain a required level of liquid refrigerant in the ice box. A further object of the invention. is to provide for the automatic individual control of multiple ice boxes, for instance such as are distributed throu h the various apartments of an apartment building. Another object of my invention is to provide a refrigerating system having the source of refrigerant at the highest point in the system thus obtaining a flow throughout the system by gravitation supplemented by the suction end of the compressor.

More specifically stated my improved refrigerating apparatus comprises a dual circuit arrangement including a primary and a secondary circuit of refrigeration. The primary circuit includesa refrigerant gas compressor at the highest point in the system, a refrigerating element in an ice box, and a gas return pipe communicating between the top of the refrigerating element and the intake of the compressor. The secondary refrig erating circuit includes a refrigerant controller having a chamber in which is contained a float and one of the walls of the chamber has a duct communicating at one end with the compressor and at its opposite end with the refrigerating element in the ice box, such pipe or duct althoughin intimate relation with the controller has no communi- 0 cation therewith. A valve controls the duct and is operated by the float. The bottom of the chamber communicates with the bottom of the refrigerating element while a constant ly open communicating pipe connects the top of the fioat chamber to the top of the refrigerating element which in turn, as just mentioned is in open communication with the gas intake of the compressor. The purpose being to have direct communication be tween the refrigerating element and the con-- troller Which'controls the direct communication between the compressor and the refrigerating element. As gas accumulates in the controller it is drawn off by a constantly open communication between the top of the controller and the top of the refrigerating element and the return pipe of the compressor in the primary circuit. Itmay be further explained that the primarycircuit circulates the freezing liquid from the compressor through flow and return pipes. The flow pipes are connected to the tops of several refrigerating elements to which the freezing liquid is conducted through ducts in the tops of the casings of controllers, such ducts not being in communication with the controller but being in communication with the freezing elements. The secondary circuits of which there are as many as there are freezing elements, are independently actuated by the primary circuit which they control by means of valves in ducts passing close to the controllers, accordingly as refrigeration is required in the refrigerating elements which by this means are actuated independently and individually.

My improved apparatus lends itself to the automatic independent individual control of multiple ice boxes operated individually or collectively by a single compressor, as'necessity arises this being effected by connecting the direct communication from the compressor through branch ducts leading directly to the respective refrigerating elements of the multiple ice boxes by independent circuits each containing its individual controller.

For full comprehension, however, of my invention reference must be had to the accompanying drawings in which similar refer ence characters indicate the same parts and wherein:

Figure 1 illustrates partly in elevation but mainly in sectional view a detached refrigerating element constructed according to my invention; Figure 2 is a plan view of the controller;

Figure 3 is a transverse vertical sectional view of the controller taken on line 33 Figure 2;

Figure 4 illustrates diagrammatically a single refrigerator unit arranged according to my invention; and

Figure illustrates in diagram a series of refrigerator units such as may be distributed through an apartment building supplied by a single compressor and each independently controlled according to my invention.

The ice box A to which my apparatus may be connected may be of any preferred household type. The refrigerating element B may also be of any preferred type in which a body D of refrigerant is contained a controller B for the refrigerating element and the exhaust gas E accumulates in the top of the refrigerating element and controller; and the compressor C may be of any preferred type. A motor for operating the compressor is indicated at D.. My apparatus as before mentioned contains a refrigerating system including primary and secondary refrigerating circuits 'a primary and a secondary circuit or a series of secondary circuits. The primary circuit includes the compressor, a trunk liquid refrigerant flow pipe and a trunk gas return pipe 2 The secondary circuit includes the refrigerating element and controller and its liquid intake pipe .2 is connected to the trunk liquid flow'pipe e while its gas discharge pipe 2 is connected to the gas return pipe 2 The secondary circuit thus operates in a measure independently of the primary circuit While using the refrigerant supplied by the primary circuit. The controller (shown particularly in Figures 2 and 3) which forms an.

essential part of my apparatus consists of a chamber I) closed by a cover 0 of special form in that it has a connection d for the pipe 6 leading from the refrigerant source of supply and a horizontal duct 7 with which communicates a vertical duct g'leading from the refrigerant supply pipe connection. The intersection of the duct 9 with the duct 7 presents a valve seat It while a vertical passage ibeneath the duct 7 is in line with the duct 9. A valve j slidably guided in passage 11 controls the duct 9 and is carried by a float 70 within interior of the chamber.

. charge port 8 in its cover.

the chamber 6. This float is of circular form in plan view and guided and maintained steadily with the valve in vertical position by a series of guiding ribs m on the circular I also provide a central guide consisting of a post 0 extendmg upwardly into the interior of the float which carries a sleeve p adapted to fit slidably upon the post and forming the core of the float. The chamber has a liquid refrigerant intake 1' in its bottom and a gas dis- This controller and the refrigerating element are included 1n w hat is in effect a secondary circuit comprising a pipe t leading from the duct f of the controller to a connection it near the top of the refrigerating element. A pipe 1; leads from a connection w at the bottom of the refngerating element to the intake port 1" of ed diagrammatically in Figure 4. For the' control ofthe several ice boxes in the apartments of an apartment building the primary circuit may be extended by a trunk line pipe 6 having the several pipes 6 connected thereto as branches and the trunk line pipe receives. the liquid refrigerant from the compressor through pipe 6 and a trunk line gas return pipe 2 has the pipes a connected thereto as ranches, the trunk line pipe 2 being connected to the intake port of the compressor by branch pipe 2 A multiple refrigerating system suitable for an apartment building or the like is illustrated diagrammatically in Figure 5.

In the operation of my improved refrigerating system the float valve which controls the liquid refrigerant supply to the refrigerating element is contained in what is practically a non-pressure chamber and consequently operates freely at all times.

From the foregoing it is apparent that the supply of a liquid refrigerant to an ice box or a series of ice boxes is made commensurate with the exhaust of the refrigerant in an individual unit or in the various units of a multiple series. The various refrigerator units although supplied by the primary circuit are each contained in a secondary circuit or a series of secondary circuits each independentlyand effectively controlled without possibility of the operation of the float valve being interferred with by an undue accumulation of pressure in the float valve chamber above the float. What I claim is as follows:

1. A refrigerating apparatus including an evaporator, a chamber provided with a top wall having a port formed therein, one end of said port being connected to a source of liquid refrigerant and the other end connected to the upper portion of the evaporator'to deliver the refrigerant thereto, a conduit connecting the lower portion of the evaporator to the lower portion of the chamber so that the refrigerant will rise in the chamber to the same level as that in the evaporator, a valve controlling the port in the top wall of the chamber to regulate the delivery of refrigerant to the evaporator, a float in said chamber functioning to open and close said valve as the level of the refrigerant fluctuates and gas ofi'take conduits connected to the upper portions of the chamber and evaporator.

2. A refrigerating apparatus including an evaporator, a chamber provided with a top Wall having a port formed therein, one end of said port being connected to a source of liquid refrigerant and the other end connected to the upper portion of the evaporator to deliver the refrigerant thereto, a conduit leading from the lower portion of the evaporator to the lower portion of the chamber to permit the refrigerant to rise in the chamber to the same level as that in the evaporator, a guide post rising from the bottom wall of said chamber, a vertically movable float including a sleeve slidably receiving said post, a valve fixed to the upper end of said sleeve functioning to control the flow of refrigerant through said port and gas return conduits connected to the upper portions of said chamher and evaporator.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

CARL W. VOLLMANN. 

